Machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- 311961: 1. T. J. MGARTHUR. STREET SWEEPINGMACHINE.

Patented May 30, 1893.

THE uanms Perms ca, Pwmuu'mu, wAsMmarun. n. c.

(No ddel. '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. J. MOARTHUR. STREET SWBEPING MACHINE.

No. 498,402. Patented May 30, 1893.

u v u 1 l.

WW-Ga vs.

m: NORRIS Prrzns 0a.. FNOTO-LIYND. wAsmncTon. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E. v

THOMAS J. McARTHUR, on NEW YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOR 'ro LAURA snAvE, or SAMEPLACE.

STREET-SWEEPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,402, dated May so,1893. Application filed January 14, 1892. Serial No. 418,027. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. lVlCARTHUR,

a citizen of the United States, residing in-the city, coui'1ty,and"State of New York, have 5.. invented a new and useful Improvement inI Street-Sweeping Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates tothe class of sweeping machines in which revolvingbrooms are used i and the invention con'sists,.first, in-the employmentof two brooms or broom cylinders whose axes are at a right angle ornearly so to each other and each axis is atan, angle of forty-fivedegrees to the line of travel when in operation so that the dirt will bemovedin. opposite directions and transversely to the.

street.

Second. The invention further consists inprovidinga receptacle for thedirt lifted by each broom, so constructed and arranged that the dirtwill be collected by the motion of the brooms as will hereinafterappear. 1

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in

2 5 which i e Figure 1, is a plan of the machine as seen from above itand without the fioorin g or platform over the frame Fig. 2, is a sideelevation and with the brooms and dirt boxes in 0 perspective. Fig. 3 isavertical transverse section of one of the dirt boxes. Fig. l is adetail view of a sectional apron or scoop with which one or both dirtboxes may be provided. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional detail 3 5 viewsillustrating different ways of attaching the apron or scoop to the lowerpart of a dirt box.

Similar letters'refer to similar parts throughout the views.

0; The main frame A, may be made ofwood or metal and is supported bysuitable bearings on themain shaft or axle B, which is carried by thewheels 0 and C. One of the wheels as at C is provided with a pawl andratchet mechanism as at D, to give rotation to the brooms, similar toordinary sweeping machines. The rear broom E is constructed in the usualmanner and is mounted obliquely to the shaft or axle B of the machineand in rear thereof, as shown. The axis E of the broom E may bejournaled in arms or bearings E supported by a verticallymovable dirtbox Garranged in front of said broom; a lever E being arranged near the'drivers seat through which said box and broom can be raised and loweredtogether as required, in the manner hereinafterdescribed. The driving'w'h'e'el F on the'axle B engages with a pinion F onthe counter shaftF -which carries th'esprocket wheel F and chain beltF 6:; .to thesprocket F on the ro'tary'broom shaft, which shaft is inclinedat nearlyhalf a right angle tothe main frame A, so that the sweep ingactio'nispartly'ina transverse direction or across the street as in ordinarymachines.

Adjacent to the broom I provide a dirt receiving box G, the rear edge ofwhich is curved to correspond nearly to the circumference of the broomand at the lower corner, is attached a plate G with an edge like a dirtscoop that collects the dirt as it is raised from" theisurface of thestreet by thebroom splints and the air currents produced by the broom.

Said box G is provided with a hood or cover 7 G? which extends rearwardsnfficiently far to 7:;

catch the dirt and dust in the air currents and thereby cause the dirtto be collected in the box G whence a removal may be made by anysuitable means such as a scraper or d rawer or sliding or tilting bottomas desired.

' To prevent any reaction of the currents of air from the box G, anopening or long slot G is provided near its upper front corner as shownin Fig. 1, for the escape of the air and in said opening or slot ispivotally supported a defleeting plate or valve G which by means ofthelever G at one end can be adjusted tov close or open the slot andthereby control the air currents as well as collect the dirt and dustinto the receptacles.

I have found both from observation and experiment that there areconditions where a single broom will not and cannot perform efficientsweeping and for several reasons, the chief of which is that when thedirtis wet and somewhat plastic, the splints of the broom .areliable tobend back 'from the mass,and

frame A, so as to be raised and lowered by the dr1ver either by hand orfoot levers as desired, and said broom is revolved in the same directionas the main shaft and its driving Wheel, so that the splints of thebroom descend into the dirt and disintegrate the mass and then sweep itback up ascoop-shaped apron H and thus lift the dirt into a box L behindthe broom; but the splints of this broom, are much stiffer than those ofthe rear broom, and must necessarily be so made to properly give thisdisintegrating action; but while their st fliness and coarseness preventtheir most efiicient sweeping action, yet the particles of dirt are leftin the best possible conditlon for the rear broom to complete the workperfectly, as the mass has not only been penetnated by the splints, butmoved in two die ti.onsviz;.to the rear and by an o l q movement. Thisfront broom is driven by a sprocket. belt K, as shown, leading from. asprocket wheel. K on a counter shaft K which 1s driven by the same. gearwheel F hat drives. the rear broom. 'Q l IQ m 'Iihe same motion as, the.mai

shaft B,,an intermediate pinion K is. em-

ployed audit is suspended in: thesameiliftngdo i oe thatraises thebroomand-dirtbox, Y

wh ch. are supported by chains. K4 passed over sprocket wheels K on ashaft K extended across the, frame A and rotated by a pawliand ratchetlever E19 near thedriversseah,

Byreferenceto Figsl and 2 it willbeseen thateach dirtbox G. and L isprovided with vertical. guide standards-M the upper ends 013whlchateinserted hroug-h collars secured at convenient points to theframe of the ma.-

chine. The front box L is suspended by the chains K from the sprocketwheels K onthe shattli? before mentioned. The rear. boxG is suspended inlike manner by means of: cha nslsi from sprocket wheelsKL onashaft K, asshown.

The shafts K and K are provided with sprocket wheels K connected by achainK so that by shifting the pawl lever E? mounted on the shaftKadjacent to thedrivers seat.

both, dirt boxes. G. L. and attached rotary brooms EH can be raisedorloweredatwill. I prefer'to make the apron or scoop II. in

the-front edge of the dirt box L insections i and eachsuspended.independentof theother asshown inFig t. sothat theycanioonform. to thevarying undulationsof. the-street. s-nrface and riseover obstructions withoutintenfering witlnone another. Forthispurposelhave madethem with asomewhat bluntpoint and slightly curvedupwardinfront, as shown atL inFigs. 2 and 5, and their upper ends are suspendedby volute springsL to. a bar.

But to give the L depending from the frame A, as shown. These volutesprings may however be dispensed with and the scoop sections may eachhave a lever or arm I-I ,Fig. 6,at its back pivoted upon a rod H andsupported by a wooden pin H similar to the shoes of grain drills, so Ithat the shoe or scoop section may yield before breaking anything butthe pin. This front box L may be constructed like the one ,for the rearbroom with an air vent, and an adjustable valve and a pan or scraper ortilting bottom.

In Figs. 2, 3 and G I have shown each dirt box provided with a hingedbottom N which i can be tilted down to discharge the contents of thebox. 7 I

Having thus described my invention, .1 desire to secure LettersPaton-hand therefore claim- 1. In astreet. sweeping; machine thecombinatiou of two rotary brooms having their iso and at an obliqueangleatoan intermediate '1 taclefor the dirt litted: each brommandgearing for actuating said brooms front the wheel: axle. substantialliyr as described.

V 2. In astr'eet sweeping machine, the coma jbination. of a frame havingama-irr shaft or iwheel axle, two rotarybrooms. having their soand at anoblique angle to-the wheel. axle, lone of said rotary brooms beingsupportcdin advance of the wheel axleand the other in Irea-r theneofiandgearing for actuating said broomstfrom. the wheel aatlmsubstantially as5 described. 3. In a street sweeping machihmtbeoombination. of aframehaving; a main. shaft or "Wheel axle,.tworotary brooms having their{axes at a right angle to each other orpnearly Eso and; at an.obliqueangleto the wheel axle, Zone of saidrotary brooms beingisupported in advanceof thewheel axle andathe other in reanthereof,gearing fioractuating said brooms j from thewheel' axle,obliqnelyrarranged dirt boxes or. receptacles for thedirt lifted bysaidH brooms and means for raisin g, and lowering said boxes and broomstogether, substantially if as described.

4. In atstreetisweeping machine,.the. com- ;jbinationtwith a rotarybroom, of a: dirtbox. ihaving a hood or cover arranged with one :edgenextto thebroomtand ptovidedwith an air vent having an adjustable valvetherein,

substantially as described. THOMAS J. MGARTIIUR.

Witnesses:

Hueo MAETKE, J oHN. T. SHAVE.

iaxes at a right angle to. each other or nearly Eaxes at a right angletoeaclr other or nearly too

